New rail line to create 130 jobs
A new rail line in Scotland is to create 130 new railway jobs.
Transport chiefs at ScotRail said the new positions will be a direct result of a new route which will link Glasgow and Edinburgh travelling via Airdrie and Bathgate.
The new line, which has been funded by the Scottish government at a cost of more than £300 million, is expected to open in December and will include three new stations. According to ScotRail the line will inject £1.3 million into the local economy in wages alone. Most of the new positions will be based in Bathgate, with the remaining 56 position to be recruited from areas across the new route.
Steve Montgomery managing director of ScotRail told The Daily Record: "The new line is great news- creating jobs and travel opportunities. It also demonstrates the commitment and strength of industry partnerships in achieving significant improvements to the railway in Scotland. I am confident it will be a great success."
Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said an increasing number of people are using the train and that it was important to find ways to encourage others to do so.
"If we want that to continue and if we want to encourage more people to use public transport, then the delivery of projects like Airdrie-Bathgate is crucial. We can already see rewards for our economy through these jobs which will not only bring benefits to those gaining new employment."
"The services they will deliver mean tens of thousands of passengers across Scotland will have access to a high level of services on a new fleet of environmentally-friendly trains," he added.
Author: Hannah McLaverty-Williamson
Keywords: Railway Jobs